Expected to be held in April, aspirants of JEE Main 2016 are left with nearly four months’ time to prepare thoroughly in order to excel in the coveted engineering entrance exam. Aspirants need to utilize this 4 months’ time in the best possible way if they seek admissions in the prestigious engineering colleges of India including IITs and NITs.EE Main is not difficult, but tricky. Gather and implement tips, gain confidence, be positive, and you will ace this exam. Speed and accuracy will be the key to your success. Nearly four months are left for JEE Main 2016. A serious aspirant ideally must be busy in completing the syllabus. However, he/she should keep following points in mind during preparation phase.

1. Time management: Proper planning is most important for timely preparation and dealing with study pressure. By now, serious students must have evaluated their preparation or have been informed about the same by their teachers. So, this is the time to consolidate your preparation and ensure that you do extremely well in the actual JEE Main exam.

2. Equal focus on all subjects: All the three subjects Physics, Chemistry & Mathematics, are equally important. So, divide these crucial remaining months aptly in the three subjects. Major focus must be on the topics of Class XII boards, and then revision of class XI topics must follow. This will help the students perform well in their pre-boards as well.

3. Planned schedule: Prepare a chapter-wise and topic-wise revision schedule. Create short notes, and list all formulae & points to remember. This will help in quick revision before the examination.

4. Simultaneous preparation for board exam & JEE Main: Majority of the topics of JEE Main are also covered in board exam. Hence, it is recommended that one must prepare for both the exams simultaneously. Students must practice all NCERT problems, while brushing up topics for JEE. Solving board level problems first and then raising the level of problems to JEE in any topic is advisable. This ensures simultaneous preparation for both, boards and JEE.

Every entrance exam is designed with a particular goal. The syllabi may look similar but the pattern and level of questions differ in some way or the other. So, students cannot afford to give less attention to any one of them. Adequate attention must be given when preparing for JEE.

Solving only NCERT books may not be sufficient to crack conceptual problems asked in entrance exams. Practice as much as you can. That will help in strengthening all important concepts. For JEE Main, many students tend to think that if they prepare for JEE Advanced, it is enough for JEE Main. But this is not correct.

The syllabus of class 11th & 12th contributes about 45% and 55% to JEE Main respectively. When you are preparing all chapters of Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics, stress should be given on the following important topics.

Mathematics: Quadratic Equations & Expressions, Complex Numbers, Probability, Vectors, Matrices in Algebra; Circle, Parabola, Hyperbola in Coordinate Geometry; Functions, Limits, Continuity and Differentiability, Application of Derivatives, Definite Integral in Calculus.

Physics: Kinematics, Gravitation, Fluids, Heat & Thermodynamics, Waves & Sound, Capacitors & Electrostatics, Magnetics, Electromagnetic Induction, Optics & Modern Physics.

Tip: Practicing quality problems is the key to success in this subject. If concepts are clear, then this subject becomes all the more interesting.

Chemistry: Coordination Chemistry & Chemical Bonding in Inorganic Chemistry, Electrochemistry, Chemical & Ionic Equilibrium, Mole Concept in Physical Chemistry and Organic Chemistry.

Right strategy and time management play a vital role in deciding the rank of an aspirant. So, one must be quick enough to adapt to difficulty level of paper and act promptly. For a 3-hour paper with 3 subjects, generally students tend to give 1 hour to each subject. But, it is advisable that they give 40-45 minutes to the section that they feel most confident about, and then move on to second subject and then to the third. In the remaining time, unsolved questioned may be reviewed. This would help in increasing the attempting rate. However, students may develop their own strategy based on their preferences.

Recommendation: Students are advised to avoid selective study in Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics. Reason being, the number of questions is more in objective papers where there is intermingling of concepts from various topics.

Strategy of preparation in the last 4 months

The last 6 months must be used maximum for problem solving with understanding of concept involved, improving on time needed to solve a given problem, identifying the weaknesses and strengthening them. This time should be utilized to consolidate one’s preparation by focusing on problem-solving and overcoming the weaker areas. 

Panels 1:

Quick Tips to Crack JEE Main 2016

1. Having familiarity with the pattern of exam will make it easier to crack.

2. Time Management is crucial to score more marks in JEE Main.

3. Learning one’s strength & weaknesses and improving upon them will help secure a better rank in JEE Main.

4. Aspirants must practise mock tests in online/offline modes to develop self-confidence.

5. Maximum number of problems should be solved in order to develop a sound confidence level.

Proper training for online and offline modes of answering the exam is important

Panel 2

Do’s for JEE Main 2016

1. Attempt easy questions first. Choose sections that have less risk and more gain.

2. Double check before marking the OMR sheet.

3. Read the entire question paper carefully in the first 5-10 minutes.

4. Practise JEE Main online mock tests in case you have registered to attempt the exam in online mode.

Don'ts for JEE Main 2016

1. Don't start from question you don't know.

2. Don't get upset if any section is tough. You can score in other sections.

3. Don’t guess if you have no idea about the concept involved in a question.

4. Don’t be nervous if you find the paper tough, since it is the relative performance that counts. Hence, put your best analytical mind to work, it will take you ahead.

5. Don’t opt for online exam if you are not comfortable with computer and are not adequately trained for the same.

Panel - 3

“For a 3-hour paper with 3 subjects, generally students tend to give 1 hour to each subject. But, it is advisable that they give 40-45 minutes to the section that they feel most confident about, and then move on to second subject and then to the third. In the remaining time, unsolved questioned may be reviewed. This would help in increasing the attempting rate. However, students may develop their own strategy based on their preferences”

About the Author: Ramesh Batlish

Batlish has a vast experience in the field of education and has contributed a lot for the development of FIITJEE centres. He has good subject matter skills with expertise in teaching maths and academic administration. IITJEE & AIEEE expert coach Ramesh, holds a BE in Electronics &Telecom (Hons). He is a senior Mathematics faculty with over a decade of successful association with IIT-JEE coaching.